What Are You Reading?
November 6, 2009 by Lorna Doone Brewer
Filed under Freelance Writing Tips
We’ve all heard the advice that if you want to be a good writer, you should also be an avid reader. I have to admit that I’ve been resting on my laurels for quite some time now. Since I received my Kindle, however, I’ve poked my head out of my shell and dived into the world of literature once again. I recently asked you all to offer suggestions for what I should read.
It went something like this: “What should I read, and why? Tell me about your favorite fiction. What classics make the world a better place by their mere existence? Fill me in on industry books I should be reading. What authors will blow my mind? What’s the best nonfiction book I’ve been missing out on for these last several years?”
Many of you jumped on board and offered some great suggestions. I thought it would make sense to list them all in one place so each of us could take advantage of the advice of our colleagues. I’ll continue to add to the list if and when more suggestions are made. I was trying to gather 100, and we have 35, not counting specific authors that were recommended.
So far, I’ve used my electronic book to read Alice Sebold’s The Almost Moon, Gregory McGuire’s Wicked, and Cami Walker’s 29 Gifts. What should I choose next? Maybe one of the following from Freelance Writing Job readers.
Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins (3)
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
Closing Time by Joseph Heller
The Liar by Stephen Fry
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
Tomas by James Palumbo
Choke by Chuck Palahnuik
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
Heidi Heidel
The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe by J. Randy Taraborelli
Alice
The Shadow of the Wind by Carolos Ruiz Zafon
The Angel’s Game by Carolos Ruiz Zafon
Better by Atul Gawande
Complications by Atul Gawande
Unconditional Parenting aby Alfie Kohn
Human Croquet by Kate Atkinson
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
Wicked by Gregory Maguire
Theresa
The Witching Hour by Anne Rice
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
This House of Sky by Ivan Doig
English Creek by Ivan Doig
Rebecca by Daphne Dumaurier
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory
The Chamber by John Grisham
Kirsten
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Meghna
The Japanese Wife by Kunal Basu
Mike
Treasure Island by Robert Stevenson
Journey to the center of the Earth by Jules Verne
The Bourne Trilogy by Robert Ludlum (3)
The Witching Hour by Anne Rice (second time this one was mentioned)
Authors that were also suggested:
David Sedaris
Matt Taibbi
Tony Hillerman
Jody Picoult
Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse
Nora Robers (as J.D. Robb)
Mary Higgins Clark
James Patterson
Janet Evonovich
As an ecumenical Christian poet & writer, I like to read the Bible cover to cover to get a clearer understanding of God and the church in all its faces. I especially love writing poetry, so I focus on the works of biblical poets, Pulitzer-prize winning poets, and children’s poets, and I welcome “how-to” books (like those published by Writers Digest) on effective techniques to use in writing and revising. Since I also enjoy writing children’s books, I read those too – the classics and new books that kids respond to well.
I’m adding several of these to my long list of books to read. Here are a few of my fiction favorites:
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet – Jamie Ford
The Bean Trees – Barbara Kingsolver
The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver
To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
She’s Come Undone – Wally Lamb
gods in Alabama – Joshilyn Jackson
A Wrinkle in Time – Madeleine L’Engle
A few non-fiction favorites:
A Whole New Mind – Daniel Pink
Traveling Mercies – Anne Lamott
Bird by Bird – Anne Lamott
The Omnivore’s Dilemma – Michael Pollan
And I’ll also put in a word for authors David Sedaris, Jodi Picoult, and Janet Evanovich and add two more: Laura Lippman and Anne Tyler
I’ve always enjoyed the classics. Here are a few of my favorites:
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
I love reading! Being in Guatemala means I don’t have a lot of access to English books, but I find them online when I can. I would love to get a Kindle now that they have made the international version available, but can’t justify it just yet. Here are my favorite reads:
- Anything by Marilyn Halverson
- Anything by S.E. Hinton
- Anything by Monica Hughes (especially Invitation to the Game)
- The Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series
- The Vampire Academy series
- Chronicles of Narnia
- The Anthropos Chronicles by John White